How to Make Apple Cider

When fall rolls around, nothing quite captures the season like a glass of fresh, crisp apple cider. The refreshing, aromatic taste of apple cider, paired with the sight of falling leaves, turns it into an unforgettable beverage for autumn. But what if winter arrives, and you still crave fresh cider? Then, this guide is for you, offering a way to make fresh apple cider. Additionally, you can explore how to make warm apple cider using heat methods.

Choose the Right Apples. The perfect apple cider strikes a balance between tartness and sweetness. Usually, homemade cider makers use a variety of apples to create this balance. To find your ideal mix, experimentation is key, and it’s all about discovering the combination that suits your taste. Here’s a quick overview of some common apple varieties:

• Red Delicious: A large, firm red apple with a sweet taste.
• Yellow Delicious: A large, firm yellow apple with a sweet flavor.
• Jonathon: A medium-sized apple that’s crisp and slightly tart, with red skin on top that fades to green below.
• Granny Smith: A small to medium-sized green apple, crisp and tangy in taste.
• Gala: A medium-sized apple with a slightly tart, crisp texture and a mix of yellow and red skin.

Select apples from the list above. You can buy apples at the market, supermarket, or a convenience store. For a sweet apple juice, use a ratio of 3 sweet apples to 1 sour apple, or for a moderately sweet flavor, use a ratio of '2 sweet apples to 1 sour apple.' If you wish to make fermented apple juice, choose sweet apples.

• You will need around 6kg of apples to make approximately 4 liters of apple juice.

Clean the apples thoroughly. Remove any bruised or spoiled sections and discard the stems. The general rule is not to use any apples that you wouldn't personally eat for making apple juice.

Quarter the apples. Keep the skin on as it contributes color, flavor, and additional nutrients to the drink.

Blend the apple pieces into a smooth consistency. Use a multi-purpose blender or a smoothie blender to process the apples until the mixture resembles apple sauce.

Strain out the apple pulp. Squeeze the blended apple mixture through a cloth strainer to extract as much juice as possible.

• If you have a fine-mesh sieve, you can press the pulp into the sieve using the back of a spoon to extract even more juice.

Always store apple juice in the refrigerator. After enjoying a refreshing glass of fresh apple juice, store any remaining juice in an airtight container at a temperature below 5°C to keep it fresh for up to 2 weeks, or freeze it for longer storage.

Prepare apple juice. Follow the instructions above and prepare about 20 liters of sweet apple juice.

Buy yeast. Visit a wine-making supply store or search online to purchase yeast for making apple juice. Wine yeast, which is not sweet, is also a suitable option and is widely available at a low price.

Create the yeast starter. One or two days before fermenting the apple juice, you'll need to prepare the yeast starter. This ensures that the yeast remains active and ready for the fermentation process. Additionally, you can control the final flavor of your juice.

• Add one packet of yeast and half a cup of fresh apple juice into a sealable jar. Close the jar, shake it well for 5 to 10 seconds, then let it sit for 5 - 6 hours or overnight.
• Once you notice bubbles forming, relieve the pressure by loosening the lid slightly and then sealing it again. Place the starter in the refrigerator and only take it out a few hours before use.

Prepare the apple juice. Pour the fresh apple juice into a pot and simmer over medium heat. Continue simmering for about 45 minutes to 1 hour to kill off any bacteria or natural yeast that could alter the flavor of the juice.

• Do not bring the apple juice to a boil.
• Add about 1kg of brown sugar or honey to enhance the sweetness and create a richer fermented apple juice!

Prepare the fermentation jar. To ensure the jar is clean and ready for fermenting apple juice, you'll need to sanitize it. Pour a capful of bleach into the jar, add some water, and let it sit while you simmer the apple juice. After the juice is ready, empty the jar and rinse it thoroughly with cold water.

Pour the apple juice into the fermentation jar. Wait for the juice to cool down until it's just slightly warmer than room temperature, then add the yeast starter. Stir the juice with a sterilized spoon, close the jar, and attach the airlock.

Wait for the apple juice to ferment. Place the fermentation jar in a cool, shaded location with a temperature between 15° and 20°C. After a few days, you'll notice the airlock start to bubble as CO2 escapes from the yeast. This bubbling will continue for several weeks. When the bubbling stops, let the juice sit for another week to allow the yeast to settle.

Bottle the juice. Use a clean siphon tube designed for food to transfer the fermented apple juice into sterilized bottles, seal the bottles, and then let them sit for as long as you'd like – at least two weeks. Like wine, the longer the fermented apple juice sits, the better the flavor.

• Note: No matter the size of your apple juice container, you must fill it close to the top. If you only fill it halfway, you’ll end up making apple vinegar instead of apple juice.
• When following the fermented apple juice guide, you'll learn the secret to preventing apple vinegar by filling the container nearly to the brim. Half-full containers will lead to vinegar.
• Fermentation yeast requires an anaerobic environment. Therefore, having extra air in the container creates vinegar flavor. CO2, being heavier than oxygen, will escape through the valve at the top of the container.
• Choose a variety of apples and process each one separately, then mix the juices to create different flavors. Pay attention to the color differences when making juice from yellow, green, and red apples.
• There’s some debate about the difference between cider and apple juice, but generally, cider refers to unfiltered, untreated fresh apple juice. Apple juice is processed, filtered, pasteurized, and bottled to extend shelf life. The guide in this article focuses on making cider.
• If making large quantities of apple juice, you can purchase an apple press.
• Handle the apples thoroughly and strain the juice through cheesecloth to maximize the juice yield and nutritional content. However, some apple pulp might still pass through the cloth, making the juice appear slightly cloudy.
• Important: Pasteurize the juice by heating it to a minimum of 71ºC but no higher than 85ºC to kill harmful bacteria like e coli. Use a food thermometer to check the temperature of the juice. Fresh, unpasteurized apple juice should not be consumed by infants, the elderly, or anyone with a compromised immune system.

• Always ensure that the tools you use for processing are clean and properly sanitized.

• Apples
• Blender, food processor, or fruit press
• Cheesecloth or sieve
• Winemaking equipment (available at stores selling winemaking supplies)